Mr. Len McDonald taught Religion. He reminded me of Spock, the fictional half-human, a half-Vulcan character from Star Trek. Not only did he look like him but he sported the same bowl-cut hairdo. Me and my classmates affectionately called him … Continue reading
Abuse has no place in love “I’ll miss you.” I cried as I hugged my boyfriend goodbye. At 17, I was both excited and nervous about boarding a KLM plane to the Netherlands with my cousin. Once we arrived in … Continue reading
Joy and tears can go together When I was still in high school, my eldest brother, Roger, moved back into the basement of our parent’s home. He brought his young wife, Julie, and their newborn, Benjamin. They planned to stay … Continue reading
“Who drove home last night?” I asked my friend on the phone. “You did!” In the 80s, it wasn’t unusual for teenagers to pick the driver who seemed the least impaired to drive home after a night at the bars. … Continue reading
A teenager’s prayer is answered The first time I participated in the pass-out challenge, my friend slid down the wall sideways and smacked her head against the vacuum cleaner. That should’ve been enough to stop me from ever participating in … Continue reading
Lucy in the Sky (at the Ball) Diamond We boarded the yellow school bus and headed for the back seats. Our bus was one of two that would be leaving our high school parking lot to travel the highways from … Continue reading
Photo from 1980s graduation party. The author, Kimberley Payne, is third from right. Meeting my friends from high school after 30 years I graduated from Grade 13 in 1987. St. Peter’s High School officially closed its doors on Reid Street … Continue reading
Heaven is a better place I don’t often watch the news on television. Instead, I receive the update for the day when my morning alarm goes off or while I’m on my drive to work. The 30-second update is usually … Continue reading
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash Thievery will out Guilt gnawed at me. Not only had I been the one who’d stolen the money but I let Jeff take the fall for it. Saturday One Saturday night, I attended a house party with … Continue reading
With blond hair and blue eyes, Bernard captured my heart immediately. We met in the Prince of Wales Public School parking lot as he guided our group of teenagers onto the bus headed for the airport. For the next four … Continue reading